My Favorite "Enemies"

by Paul Semendinger

January 25, 2024

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From time to time, writers, and others, share their lists of their favorite Yankees.

Tim Kabel shared a great list the other day.

One thing I don't think anyone has ever done is create a list of favorite players from other teams. This is challenging because we often root against the players on the other teams. But, even though these players are on other teams, there are some we like to root for.

I figured I'd take this challenge and list my favorite players from other teams, basically from 1977 to the present (when I started following baseball) with one simple rule to follow, none of these players can have played for the Yankees at any point in their careers (that would be the easy way out).

Also, I can't say I remember watching all these players, but I do recall collecting their baseball cards, reading about them in Baseball Digest (and other magazines), playing their cards in Strat-o-Matic, and the like. These were players I rooted for, even though they weren't Yankees.

Finally, I'm sure I forgot some players when I made this list. Each time I worked on this article, I thought of a new player to add. Sometimes, though, I think of a name, and because the player was so much an "enemy" of the Yankees, I look back at that player, I say, "I can't add him." (A good example of this is George Brett.)

Please also share your list of favorite Yankees "Enemies" Here is mine:

C- John Stearns, Mike Scoscia, Glenn Borgmann

1B- Rod Carew, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell

2B- Shooty Babitt (I had his 1981 Strat-o-Matic card, so technically, I never rooted for him because by the time the card arrived (in 1982) his big league career was over.) I could move Rod Carew here, but I remember him only as a first baseman.

SS- U.L. Washington, Fred Patek

3B- Mike Schmidt, Rico Petrocelli, Bill Madlock

LF- Greg Luzinski

CF- Chet Lemon, Lloyd Moseby

RF- Dave Parker, Tony Gwynn

DH- David Ortiz

Also- Al Oliver, John Milner, Ron LeFlore, Ed Kranepool, Cecil Cooper, Wayne Nordhagen, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts

SP- Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Mark Fydrich, Fernando Valenzuela, Sid Fernandez, Jerry Koosman, SCott McGregor, Bruce Hurst

RP- Tug McGraw, Dan Quisenberry, Jeff Reardon, Kent Tekulve

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For the record, I'm not going to create a list of the players I most disliked from other teams, or even the Yankees.

BUT, I have a bunch more positional lists like this coming in the days and weeks ahead!